thunderbolt85
Friday, April 26, 2019 7:00:16 AM
Thought this might be a fun discussion, but to keep the discussion open and not drag anyone's name thru the mud if they are alive or dead lets just use names like "Show owner A" or "B".

One owner I worked for was really nice to employee's, he paid good for the times, was willing to come up and sit down and talk with you no matter what your position. The committee's like him and he stood up for his employees. However he did not put up with nonsense.

One time in NC at a fair an employee went off the deep end and was running up the midway running his mouth and causing a scene, the owner had one of the foremen take him down with one punch, guy got up and went back to work, never said anything else. This owner was real good about taking groups of us out to eat breakfast and paying. Great show owner, enjoyed working on that show a lot.

Now I never worked for Show owner B but heard he was a mean one, mean to the employees and the customers. Yell at you for stuff that wasn't your fault, wouldn't pay and left a bunch of employees stranded one time without pay and without a way to make the jump. Just not a way to treat your help, any help that I have hired I always try to pay them a little more at least than average and bonus them when they work hard. I put them in hotels when I needed too, now not the most expensive one but at least a place to shower and lay your head down on a pillow.
Erik9976
Monday, April 29, 2019 7:32:31 PM
There's a show that plays malls around metro Atlanta during the summer before heading back to Florida for their fall church route. Absolutely the worst show to work for.
thunderbolt85
Tuesday, April 30, 2019 6:52:58 AM
Originally Posted by: Erik9976 

There's a show that plays malls around metro Atlanta during the summer before heading back to Florida for their fall church route. Absolutely the worst show to work for.




That's too bad, you know our business is tough enough without having to work for someone that makes it worse.

Now I have worked for some tough foremen and bosses, but they were fair and still treated you with respect, but they expected some hard work and no griping.

Worked for one that had to call me out one time when I was green and young goofing off on the Scrambler with some other ride jocks, now he was in the right and I had to swallow my pride but I still respected him and enjoyed working with him even though my "pride" was hurt that day.
ridejocky
Tuesday, April 30, 2019 7:52:15 PM
Everyone i worked for was okay,
Ride the Zipper?
bigjlh
Tuesday, April 30, 2019 8:12:11 PM
i worked the independent side not any hassles.seen some help get treated ruff at times.treat your men decent and they will try there best for you.no need to hard time help the scene had enough problems to begin with.decent pay a little respect goes a long way.ok then we are getting hammered here in the lonestar with weather ok then thanks big jlh
Benjibear
Tuesday, May 7, 2019 7:50:25 AM
Now I never worked for a show but had concessions. For the most part we traveled with one show and got along with most of the family owners and worked with them moving the show. However, there was part of the family that didn't want us there and made multiple complaints and liked to show authority over us. Well the straw that broke the camels back was when we were pulling out of a lot and this part of the family was not ready. Everyone else dumped their campers in a manhole in the middle of the lot and when everyone else was ready to pull out we decided to close it up to avoid anyone falling in. When we got to the next lot I was yelled at for leaving them at the previous lot with no tools to open the manhole. The funny thing is that I used a pry bar and a block of wood off of one of the rides (their rides) to open the manhole. Multiple rides had similar pry bars but I guess I am just so much smarter then these people that they couldn't figure out how to open a manhole. Well that was the end of traveling with them and at the time I was sad but I put my mind to finishing up college. While I still miss the business, I am happy with my career and really only look back at the great times and memories.
It is what you learn, after you know it all, that counts.
ridejocky
Wednesday, May 8, 2019 5:40:40 AM
Originally Posted by: Benjibear 

Now I never worked for a show but had concessions. For the most part we traveled with one show and got along with most of the family owners and worked with them moving the show. However, there was part of the family that didn't want us there and made multiple complaints and liked to show authority over us. Well the straw that broke the camels back was when we were pulling out of a lot and this part of the family was not ready. Everyone else dumped their campers in a manhole in the middle of the lot and when everyone else was ready to pull out we decided to close it up to avoid anyone falling in. When we got to the next lot I was yelled at for leaving them at the previous lot with no tools to open the manhole. The funny thing is that I used a pry bar and a block of wood off of one of the rides (their rides) to open the manhole. Multiple rides had similar pry bars but I guess I am just so much smarter then these people that they couldn't figure out how to open a manhole. Well that was the end of traveling with them and at the time I was sad but I put my mind to finishing up college. While I still miss the business, I am happy with my career and really only look back at the great times and memories.



What career path did you take?

I got out in ‘88 after twelve years, got clean, went back to school. I loved it but the dope ruined it.,,

Ride the Zipper?